House of Representatives yesterday directed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mr. Solomon Arase to reopen investigations into unresolved cases of high profile political and extra-judicial killings in the country.
The purpose of the reopening, according to the House, was to bring the culprits of the unresolved killings to justice.
The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of the prayers of a motion by a member, Kingsley ChindaIn, entitled: “Need to Undertake Further Investigations into Cases of Extra-Judicial Killings and Other High Profile Murders”.
When the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, called for a vote, the motion which was overwhelmingly supported by members and consequently adopted by the House, was referred to the committees on Police Affairs, Public Safety and National Security (when constituted).
The committees are to monitor the investigations of the cases and present an interim report to the House within four weeks.
Chinda, while presenting the motion, noted that the extrajudicial killings were allegedly being carried out by men of the police and personnel of some other security agencies as well as unknown gunmen.
The lawmaker urged the police to be more alive to their responsibilities in the prevention of crimes and proper investigation.
Chinda expressed concern that the efforts of successive governments in tackling the problem of extrajudicial and other high-profile killings had largely been ineffectual and short of the expectations of Nigerians.
According to him, people now live in fear and despair because the trend had continued unabated.
Chinda said the several cases of extra-judicial and unsolved killings in the country included the killings of Dele Giwa, Alfred Rewane, Bola Ige and Funso Williams as well as some traders at Apo (popularly known as Apo Six), invasion by mobile policemen and armed soldiers of Ogoni land and Odi community in Bayelsa and others.
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